The following biography was included in the program for Jacobs’ funeral Thursday at Furman University, which an estimated 4,000 people attended.

Allen was born on April 23, 1987 to Donald Lee Jacobs and Tammie Thornell Jacobs in Denver, Colorado. When Allen and his brother Donny were toddlers, Tammy left her role as a teacher and Don left his position as administrator at a Christian school in Longmont, Colorado to pursue careers at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. As a child Allen attended Bob Jones Academy, where he excelled academically and athletically.

Allen joined the U.S. Army at the age of 17. He was smart and athletic---a natural born leader whose competitive nature fueled his passion for being a soldier. If the job was challenging, Allen volunteered for it. He served as a SGT (E-5) and Jump Master in the 82nd Airborne Division. He was deployed to Iraq for 15 months. Allen volunteered to live in the neighborhoods of Baghdad, keeping the community safe from insurgents. He was deployed a second time to Haiti to help after the 2010 earthquake. In his spare time, Allen pursued and completed a degree in Criminal Justice from Troy University. He was a dedicated father. After the birth of his two sons, Michael and Dillon, he decided it was time to leave the Army and return home to the Upstate. Allen was honorably discharged after serving our nation for 6 1/2 years.

Allen joined the City of Greenville Police Department in 2011. He enrolled in many courses to gain additional training, including multiple armorer's courses and the Federal Active Shooter Threat Training Program. His persistence and dedication to the police force earned him over 30 certificates. Allen obtained instructor certifications in order to be a Field Training Officer instructor and to teach Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) in the Greenville schools. He was also a concealed weapons permit instructor for a new business (MDI, Tactical Solutions) that he and a partner started.

Allen had a leadership role in the Greenville Police Force by serving as a member of the SWAT Team and the Community Response team. He was also involved in many Community Coordination and Education programs, such as Cops on the Court. When off-duty, Allen continued his service as a zone patrol officer in the Greenville County Schools. Allen received a Purple Heart Award in 2015 for an injury while patrolling a Greenville neighborhood.

Great happiness was brought to Allen's life when he met his wife, Meghan. Meghan brought love, stability, and fun into the lives of Allen and his sons. Together they played, worked, and worshiped. It was with great joy that Allen and Meghan were married in June 2015 by Chaplain Monty Carter in a private ceremony in Furman University's Rose Garden. The happy couple later celebrated their love with friends and family in a formal ceremony in the Dominican Republic. Allen was very excited to welcome a daughter to their family in July 2016.

All who knew Allen witnessed a man with discipline and motivation who deeply loved his family and his friends. He considered his fellow soldiers in the Army and officers on the Police Force as brothers and sisters. If you were fortunate enough to be one of the Allen's friends, you had a Friend for Life. Although he was physically and emotionally strong, he had a tender side when dealing with children and loved ones.

(AP Photo/Mary Esch) In this Sept. 27, 2017 photo, kratom capsules are displayed in Albany, N.Y. An upstate New York coroner’s classification of a young police sergeant’s death as a kratom overdose has sparked controversy among advocates of the herbal...

People more likely to get a severe salmonella infection include pregnant women, young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.